Spring ring



Jan. l, 1929.

1,696,912 w. F. HEROLD 1 SPRI'NG RING Filed July 6, 1925 A TTORNE Y Patented Jan. l, 1,929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- WALTER IHEROLD, OF UPPER MONTCILAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE BASSICK COMPANY, F BRIDGEORT, CONNECTICUT, ACORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

SPRING RING.

Application led July 6',

The present invention relates to an improved shertmetal spring ring.

SpringA rings have heretofore been pro duced by bending wire, or other stock, into ring shape, which` was unsatisfactory not' only from theI standpoint of production and expense. but 'from the fact that it was practically impossible to maintain exact sizes and tensions, and in the production of small diameters thc rings would not conform toa true circle, 'due to their tendency to straighten out at the ends. This was particularly true in Ithe production of rings having a noncircular cross-section` the bending operation in this case also tending to change the crossseetional shape, so that it was not uniform at all points. l Y It is proposed in the present invention to provide a spring ring from flat sheet metal stock, to the end that it may be economically produced by means of shaping and blanking dies, and in which exact shapes and sizes may be accurately maintained and the desired tension positively determined, and maintained in production.

A further object is to produce, as a part of the process of'making the spring ring, a concavoconvex, or other suitably shaped, disc or plate, the spring and plate thus produced, adapted', for example, for use inr a caster socket construction as disclosed in my copending application Serial Number 120,671', filed July 6, 1926, although therspring, as well as the plate, are adapted for numerous othery uses.

Another object is to produce a ring'of nonlcircular and uniform cross-section, and particularly onehaving abeveled leadsurface for guiding the insertion of a pintle, or the like. It is also 'proposed to provide a ring 'of relatively thin metal thickness, so that it will occupya relatively narrow space, and which ring will at the Sametime be relatively strong. I

. With the above and other objects in View, an embodiment of thejnvention is shown in the accompanying drawings, and this embodiment` will be hereinatter more fully described With reference thereto, and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a sheet metal blank strip, showing the several steps of produc! ing the concave-convex plate and spl1tI 1926. Serial No. 120,672.

spring ring," according to the present embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan viewof the plate;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the spring ring;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional viewthrough the blank, and the plate and spring ring produced therefrom, and showing the relation ot the forming and blanking dies Figs. 10 and 11 are views similar to Figs;

E and 9 of another form of socket top bearmg.

Similar reference characters indicate cor- 'responding parts throughout the several lig ures of the' drawings.

Referring to the drawings, the split spring ring and concave-convex plate, according to the' presentl embodiment ofthe invention, are adapted to be produced from a flat sheet metal blank strip 10, of brass,'springsteel, phosphor bronze, or other suitable metal, by being fed in step by step relation through an automatic forming and blanking press.

.where the several operations of forming and blanking the metal are performed. The steps of the process may, however, be performed by any desired mechanical means.

The blank is first bumped up,as at 11, by Jforming dies 12 and 13, to provide a concave- .convex circular T'shape, the bumped up por- Ation being next blanked out, as at 14, yby

blanking dies 15 and 16, the plate thus produced dropping into aI suitable receptacle. The edge of the hole 14 is next flanged by swaging, as at 17, by forming dies 18 and 19,1-the flange being beveled and extending from a point inwardly spaced from the outer periphery of the finishedring. ,The step of swaging the flange 17 so compres/'ses the metal that it is rendered relatively thinner, as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and is hardened, and in thelcase of relatively soft annealed brass has the effect of the extra rolling operations to which annealed brass is usually subjected to render it hard and springy. The next ste 'consists in producing a cut at onepomt in the ring blank the cut extending from the hole 14 to a point in the strip outside the outer periphery of the ring forming portion, suitable piercing dies Q1 and 2Q being employed forthis purpose.

f The cut may be radial, as shown,j or it mayy rendered springy by the swaging and hardenin T action o'f the formin dies im arts lension to the ring, the degree of tension being determined -by the extent of t-he flange, that is, increase in the depth of the flange pro-l portionately increases the tension.

In Fig. 7 I have illustrated, as an example, an application of the split spring ring and concavo-convex plate in a castersocket 26, this particular type of socket being disclosed and claimed in my co-pending application, above referred to.V Thering is loosely disposed in an annular pocket 27 provided in the base of the socket, and4 is adapted to grip the pintle 28 to ret-ain it. The beveled flange, i tA Will be notedi provides a positive seating surface at the upper side and a lead surface at the under side for guiding the insertion of the pintle. The relatively thin met-al thickness enables thespring to be disposed in a coin; paratively narrow space. The concavo-conrex plate is adapted to be used as a reinforcing top pintle bearing for the ball end 29 of the pintle, being first loosely engaged in the eoelret in contact with the domed upper end thereof, as 'shown in Fig. 8, and then comi: pressed and expanded at its marginal portion by means of suitable dies 30 `and .31 to secure it in the socket end, its diameter in the securedrelation being greater than that of the ring opening. In Figs. 10 and 11 thesocket formed of relatively thin gauge metal.-

I have' illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactoryv embodiment of the invention, but it will be obvious that changes may be made therein, Within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what A springy in a plane parallel to the plane of the ring.- t

3. As an article of manufacture, a flat sheet metalv split ring, and Aincluding an annular tension 'imparting flanged portion rendering the ring sp-ringy in a plane parallel to the flat plane of the ring.

4. is an article of manufacture, afiat sheet metalsp-lit ring, including:I an annular por- .tin disposed in a flat plane and an annular tension imparting port-ion bent out of said plane and rendering the ring springyA in a plane parallel to the iiat plane of the ring.

5. As an article of manufacture, a flat sheet metal split ring, including a cylindrical periphery and flat upperand lower surfaces adjacent said periphery and an annular' tension imparting flange port-ion extending from the other peripheryrto said iiatsurfaces and rendering the ring springy in a. plane parallel to the flat plane of the rin 6. Asan article of manu acture, a flat sheet met-al split ring, including an outer cylindrical periphery and flat upper and lower surfaces adJacent said peri hery and an annular tensionimparting ange portion extending from the inner periphery to s aid flat y surfaces and rendering the ring springy in a plane parallel to the flat plane of the ring.A

7. Asan article of manufacture, a split spring ring formed of flat sheet'metal of relatively low resiliency including an annular flange portion bent out of the plane of vsaid sheet metal and. impartingincreased resiliency to the ring.

Signed att/Newark, in the county of Essex,

and State of New Jersey, this 25th day of June, 1926.'

. lWALTER F. HEROLD. 

